Page 69 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

"Abe Ustinov, if this is your idea of a prank, I swear—"

"No prank." He cut me off, a rare vulnerability in his voice. "This is… well, it's our future. If you want it."

My breath caught in my throat as we came to a stop in the middle of the overgrown grass. Abe's eyes were intense as they locked with mine, a mixture of hope and uncertainty swirling in their depths.

"What do you mean, our future?" I whispered, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

Abe's lips curved into a smile. He reached into his jacket, pulling out a roll of papers. With a dramatic flourish that was so quintessentially Abe, he unfurled them before me.

My eyes widened as I took in the intricate sketches. It was a house—no, a home. I saw the client's name on top.Our names.

This wasour home. I gasped, my fingers tracing the lines of a sprawling kitchen with an island big enough for my baking experiments. There was a cozy reading nook by a bay window, just like I'd always dreamed of having.

"Is this…" I couldn't finish the sentence, my voice catching.

"It's us, Pippa," Abe said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Every detail, every room—it's built around what you've told me you've always wanted."

I blinked rapidly, fighting back tears as I saw the master bathroom with the clawfoot tub I'd once mentioned in passing. How had he remembered all of this?

"But that's not all," Abe continued, flipping to another page. "Look here."

My heart nearly stopped as I saw the sketch of a nursery, complete with a rocking chair and stuffed animals. The implications hit me like a tidal wave, and I felt my knees go weak.

"Abe," I breathed, looking up at him in disbelief. "You… you want all of this? With me?"

His blue-gray eyes, usually so guarded, were open and vulnerable as he nodded. "Every bit of it, Sweetheart. You, me, our baby, this home—our future."

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They spilled down my cheeks as I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest. His strong arms wrapped around me, holding me close as if he never wanted to let go.

Abe's arms tightened around me as he spoke, his deep voice rumbling against my ear. "I know I'm not the easiest man to love, Pippa. I find it hard to say how I feel, have a real temper, and God knows I can be a real bastard sometimes." He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. "But with you, I want to be better. I want to build something lasting."

I pulled back slightly, looking up into his face. The vulnerability in his eyes was startling, so different from how I’d come to know him. My heart swelled, and I found myself reaching up to trace the line of his jaw, my fingers brushing against the stubble there.

"You're not just talking about the house, are you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "No, Sweetheart. I'm talking about us. A life together. A family in every way possible, if that's what you want."

He stepped back and took my hands in his, his calloused fingers tracing gentle patterns on my skin.

"Pippa," he began, his usually confident voice tinged with an unfamiliar nervousness.

My heart began to race, the realization of what was happening hitting me like a freight train. I swallowed hard, my eyes locked on his face.

"I never thought I'd be doing this. Hell, I never thought I'd want to. But you… you've changed everything. Pippa Burrows," he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper as heslowly lowered himself to one knee and pulled something out of his pocket. "Will you marry me?"

The world seemed to stop. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. He opened the box and it dazzled in the light. This man, this infuriating, passionate, protective man, wanted me to be his wife. Me, with all my tendencies to overthink and sass and workaholic tendencies.

"Yes," I finally managed to choke out, tears of joy spilling down my cheeks as he took my hand and placed the heaviest rock I’d ever seen upon my finger. "Yes, you impossible man. Of course I'll marry you."

The moment the "yes" left my lips, Abe's face transformed. The tension in his jaw melted away, replaced by a smile so genuine it made my heart skip.

"You mean it?" he asked, looking up at me, his voice husky with emotion.

I nodded and bent to the ground to be at his level, cupping his cheeks in my hands, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. "I do. God help me, I do."

Abe surged to his feet, pulling me up with him and straight into his arms with such force I let out a surprised squeak. His large hands cupped my face, thumbs gently wiping away my tears as he pressed his forehead to mine.

"You have no idea how happy you've made me, love of my life," he murmured, his accent thicker than usual.

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